Additive manufacturing processes are used to create three dimensional articles having unique and complex geometries that are either prohibitively expensive to create, or impossible to create, using alternative manufacturing processes. Typical additive manufacturing processes apply thermal energy to a material bed to iteratively create layers of a component out of the base material. By way of example, plastics and metals are frequently utilized in additive manufacturing as the base material.
In some cases, such as for components to be utilized in a gas turbine engine, the component must be suitable for exposure to extreme thermal conditions and extreme thermal cycling. Specific examples of such components include ceramic matrix composites, ceramic vanes, blade outer air seals, and the like. One method for creating articles suitable for such applications is the utilization of a ceramic, or a ceramic containing, material.
Traditional machining methods for manufacturing ceramic containing articles including complex shapes are complex, require extreme temperatures, and utilize multiple iterative processing steps. Further, complex shapes, such as interior geometries, end cuts, and the like are prohibitively expensive and time consuming to create.